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Collaborative seeks info on workforce issues

Staff Report //September 6, 2018//

Collaborative seeks info on workforce issues

Staff Report //September 6, 2018//

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The Workforce Data Collaborative is surveying employers and employees in the Brookfield/Mauldin area to identify barriers to workforce participation and career progression. The survey will be available until Oct. 5 and results will be shared with business leaders and policymakers to inform solutions, according to a news release.

The Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Greenville Area Development Corp., Appalachian Council of Governments and SC Works created the Workforce Data Collaborative earlier this year to collect and analyze data to examine barriers to workplace participation and opportunities to enhance participation. The group identified four major barriers to employment and career progression — transportation, child care, affordable housing and criminal records. The Brookfield/Mauldin survey will focus on each of these areas, the release said.

“It’s imperative that employers and employees alike take the survey to inform efforts to remove workforce barriers and help prioritize solutions,” said Carlos Phillips, Greenville Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, in the release “Availability of a skilled workforce continues to be the number one issue facing Upstate employers and this survey will help business and community leaders make informed decisions to expand the labor pool and build a stronger workforce.”

The analysis will be shared with business leaders and policymakers to inform administrative, regulatory or policy changes to enhance workforce participation.

The first phase of data collection covered the downtown area and included a transportation-focused survey. Other areas being surveyed this year include the Donaldson/SCTAC area, according to the release.